This Pineapple Rum Cake has quickly become a family favorite. With pineapple, dark rum, instant pudding mix, and a boxed cake mix, it’s super easy to put together and tastes even better the next day. I discovered it on a cruise with Princess Cruises to the Western Caribbean and knew I had to recreate it!
I am proud to be partnering with Princess Cruises to bring you this Pineapple Rum Cake. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
*This post contains an affiliate link(s).
Who doesn’t love cake? This tender cake is full of pineapple flavor, mixed with the sweet, woody notes of rum. It’s the perfect dessert to serve to your guests this holiday season or just to enjoy after dinner with your family.
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Tips for making this Pineapple Rum Cake
Before we get started, review these helpful tips to make sure your rum cake recipe turns out perfect every time!
- Make it easier on yourself and use your favorite boxed yellow cake mix. There is nothing wrong with using a boxed mix. If you’re a purist at heart, then, by all means, make the cake from scratch (you can try my yellow cake recipe!)
- Use an instant vanilla pudding mix, NOT a cook & serve.
- Prepare a 10-inch bundt pan by spraying the sides and bottom of the cake pan generously with a floured baking spray. I like to use Baker’s Joy. The cake is less likely to break apart or adhere to the pan.
- Use pineapple tidbits, NOT crushed pineapple. You’ll toss the pineapple into 2 tablespoons or so of the dry flour/pudding mixture, to suspend the pineapple in the batter and prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- Drain the pineapple well and reserve the pineapple juice!
- You can make pineapple mini rum cakes with a mini Bundt cake pan. Fill them 2/3 of the way and bake for 28-30 minutes or until baked through.
Pineapple Rum Cake Ingredients
Gather together these simple ingredients to make this delicious cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces)
- 3.4-ounce box of instant vanilla pudding
- 20-ounce can of pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve the juice!)
- ½ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup dark rum
Rum Glaze
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark rum
What rum is best to use for a Pineapple Rum Cake?
Use dark rum for a bolder rum flavor. The first time I made it, I used white rum, while I used dark rum the next time. I prefer the second one much better with the dark rum, as it has a richer flavor without being overwhelming.
I would steer clear of the flavored rums as the sweetness might alter the final taste of this recipe.
How to Make Rum Cake with Pineapple
This rum cake recipe has just a few extra steps than a traditional cake, but it’s still so easy to make!
- First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and prepare your bundt pan by spraying it generously with a floured baking spray. You can also butter and flour your pan.
- Drain the pineapple tidbits in a colander placed over a medium bowl to reserve the juice.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the dry ingredients (cake mix and the vanilla instant pudding mix).
- Place the pineapple in a small bowl and toss with two tablespoons of the cake/pudding mixture, making sure to coat the pineapple completely.
- Add the eggs, ½ cup of pineapple juice, canola oil, and ½ cup of rum to the cake mix, and stir to combine completely. Fold in the coated pineapple tidbits with a rubber spatula.
- Gently pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be just a very light golden brown. Let the cake cool to room temperature before serving.
How do you make the Pineapple Rum Cake Glaze?
The buttery rum syrup is easy to make! Combine the butter, sugar, and pineapple juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat and boil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly so that it reduces and thickens slightly. Remove the glaze from heat, add the rum, and mix well.
Glazing the Cake
Before glazing the cake, use a skewer to place holes into the bottom of the cake while it is still in the pan, about 5 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows more of the glaze to be absorbed into the cake.
To glaze, brush about 1/3 of the glaze over the cake bottom while it’s still in the pan, after putting the holes in it. Let it sit for about 10 minutes so that it absorbs into the cake. Then place it right side up on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet, remove the cake from the pan, and brush it slowly with the remaining glaze before transferring it to a serving plate.
Can you make Pineapple Rum Cake ahead of time?
You sure can! I found that while delicious the night I made it, it tasted SO much better the next day, so this will be the perfect make-ahead dessert. Make it as directed, then, when completely cooled, insert toothpicks into the top and cover it gently with aluminum foil until you’re ready to serve it the next day.
Can you freeze Pineapple Rum Cake?
That’s a yes, too! We ate one soon after I made it, and I froze the second half to eat a week later.
To freeze pineapple rum cake, wrap it in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. This cake will last up to a month in the freezer. Be sure to mark the date on it when placing it into the freezer, so you don’t play any guessing games.
Place it in the refrigerator to thaw overnight or at least 12 hours before you’ll be serving it.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve up a piece of cake with some whipped topping and maraschino cherries.
- Top your dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Serve the cake with some fresh pineapple slices for a garnish.
If you enjoy this Pineapple Rum Cake, take a look at more recipes inspired by my cruises with Princess Cruises!
This Pineapple Rum Cake was gently adapted from this recipe at allrecipes.com.
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Pineapple Rum Cake
Ingredients
Pineapple Rum Cake
- 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding
- 20 ounces pineapple tidbits drained well with juice reserved
- ½ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup dark rum
Rum Glaze
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark rum
Instructions
Pineapple Rum Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F. and prepare a 10-inch bundt pan by generously spraying it with a floured baking spray. You can also generously butter it and sprinkle with flour.
- Drain pineapple tidbits in a colander placed over a medium bowl to reserve the juice.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix.
- Place the pineapple into a small bowl and toss with two tablespoons of the cake/pudding mixture. Coat completely.
- Into the cake mix, add the eggs, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, canola oil, and 1/2 cup of rum. Mix completely.
- With a rubber spatula, fold in the coated pineapple tidbits.
- Gently pour batter into pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Rum Glaze
- Into a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of dark rum. Mix well.
Glazing the Cake
- Remove cake from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
- While still in the pan, poke holes with a skewer all the way around the bottom of the cake. Using 1/3 of the glaze, gently brush the bottom of the cake, allowing the glaze to soak into it.
- Let cake sit for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
- Gently brush the remainder of the glaze all over the cake, pausing at times to give the cake time to absorb it. Using two hard spatulas, slowly and gently transfer the cake to a serving plate. Cool completely.
- If serving the next day, cover top with toothpicks and gently cover with a tent of aluminum foil when completely cooled.
- Cake can be frozen for up to a month. Cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil.
Nutrition
This post was originally published May 20, 2019. It has been updated in format and with pictures on December 8, 2023.
During the first week in April of this year, I had the incredible opportunity to go on an adventure once again with Princess Cruises. This time, to the Western Caribbean.
I brought our daughter Emma to celebrate her 25th birthday which was on January 21st.
If you’ve been following my blog for some time then you remember that two years ago I brought our oldest daughter, Alex on their Panama Canal cruise when she celebrated her 25th.
Then last May, I was thrilled to share an Alaska cruise with Kurt.
Each cruise has been pretty spectacular and it’s become one of my preferred ways to travel. You can just see and do so much that you wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.
Not to mention that the food on board is always outstanding!
One of the excursions Emma and I took during this Western Caribbean cruise was Grand Cayman’s Exclusive East Island Exploration. It was absolutely magnificent. We had a private driver, Christine who took us in her taxi to the eastern part of the island. This side of the island is less traveled than the western side.
She drove us to different sites, one of our favorites being the Tortuga Rum Factory. OMG, it was super delicious! We sampled some rum and a couple of different rum cakes. I’m seriously drooling now just thinking about how incredible it all was.
Needless to say, I bought some Coconut Rum. The bottle was conveniently delivered to the ship all wrapped and boxed the day before we disembarked which made it super easy to pack.
I also bought the 6-pack variety of small rum cakes. We were so in love with them that I knew from the first taste I was going to be making it for the blog.
I was super excited to take this trip, too because we experienced the Medallion Class featuring the OceanMedallion on board the Caribbean Princess. Once you book your Medallion class cruise, you receive a complimentary Ocean Medallion which opens up a whole new cruising world! Take a look to see the Princess Cruises Offers available now!
available now!
When you embark and disembark on these particular ships, you’ll experience a faster and smoother process and open up your stateroom door with ease. You can order food and drinks from anywhere on the ship, have them delivered to you, and so much more. It was pretty incredible.
Also, besides having some much-needed one-on-one quality time with Emma, I was also to spend it with some of my closest friends, Sandra from Dash of Sanity and Erin. Cruises are great ways to celebrate the ones you love and we were able to share Sandra’s 40th birthday that week as well!
Comments & Reviews
Hi
What does coating the pineapple in the dry mix do??
C, coating the pineapple (or any fruit you bake with in a recipe) in some of the dry ingredients will help to suspend it in the batter. This way, the fruit won’t sink to the bottom of the cake and will visible throughout. I also do this with any of my quick breads that I use fruit in.
Absolutely awful. Wouldn’t come out of the pan. Sooooo mad
The pieces were good. And the garbage loved it
Cheryl, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you. My guess is that the bundt pan wasn’t sprayed enough with a cooking or floured spray for it to be released easily. I’ve had that happen countless times and it’s very frustrating, I know.
No need to throw it away though should it happen next time! You can take the pieces of the cake and make it into a delicious trifle.
Pineapple bread pudding
XDo You have to put the pineapple in it.
Sandra, I would recommend keeping the pineapple since that’s what makes it a Pineapple Rum Cake. I haven’t baked it without the pineapple, so not sure how it would be. If you want just a Rum Cake, then I would do a Google search for that specifically.
This cake is delicious! Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe!
This cake is good but man was that a lot of rum. It smelled like a tiki bar when I opened the case. Honestly I think you could cut the glaze in half and it would be great.
Agree. Lots of rum. Will be cutting it in half. Maybe I’m a lightweight 😀
Can I make cupcakes or a loaf pan?
If I accidentally put the rum in glaze pan before cooking is that okay?
Lori, that shouldn’t be a problem. I’m interested to hear how it turned out for you. Please let me know!
I think this would be Great with Coconut Rum???
Monica, I agree! You can definitely use coconut rum in it.
How do you poke holes in the bottom with it still in the pan?
Judy, when making a bundt cake, the actual bottom of the cake appears at the top of the pan as it’s baking. After poking the holes in the cake, and pouring the glaze onto it, you’re going to let it sit, and then to remove the cake, you’ll invert it or turn it over. So then the bottom that’s in the cake pan actually becomes the top and vice versa. Also, this way by poking holes it the bottom of the cake while it’s in the pan, the glaze will be evenly distributed and the top of the cake once you remove it from the pan won’t have holes showing and will be intact. Make sense?
Turned out great! Made ahead for thanksgiving
So glad you liked it, Karen! Thanks so much for letting me know and leaving a review!
I was planning to make a pineapple upside down cake and a rum cake; I’m goimg to make this instead! I want to use crushed pineapple cooked in the butter rum syrup as a swirl in the middle. I will let you know how it turns out.
Please say how it turned out. This sounds so good. I always have crushed pineapple but not tidbits.
Rum was a little too subtle. Pineapple taste stronger than rum. However, we love it because it’s cake. It was moist but not so much that it falls apart. Thanks for the recipe!
I like the recipe but damn did we really need to get the whole backstory of princess Cruise lines and Caribbean cruise and Emma’s 25th birthday etc etc etc etc? Just tell us the recipe be done with it we don’t care about your Caribbean cruise just the recipe.
Charlie, I’m so glad you read the whole post. Thank you.
There is a “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of all my posts if you aren’t interested in reading of what I include in my posts. However, there are times where you may miss some important tips about a recipe that might be able to help or answer questions you may have about it.
In the case of the Pineapple Rum Cake, I was paid to write this by Princess Cruises in exchange for the trip, so I DID need to include all of that information about the cruise.
Also, if you don’t like reading and just want recipes perhaps your time and money would be better spent on purchasing a cookbook.
Rude as hell.
oh ma LAWD she makin cake wif dee ALKEYHAWL
Cake fell apart when trying to transfer to cake dish
MJ, I’m sorry that happened. Bundt pans can be fickle when removing a cake, so they need to be very well greased and floured before adding the batter. I’ve had this happen to me many times as well with different cake recipes, but no worries, even if it does fall apart when transferring, the cake is still delicious and can be made into a trifle! I hope it doesn’t discourage you from making it again.
Is there a substitute for a “non alcohol ” rum such as a rum syrup?
Diane, I haven’t used anything but the rum to make this cake and don’t feel comfortable suggesting any substitutions since I haven’t made it with them. I would suggest Googling a rum cake without the rum. I’m sure someone has made it and you’ll be able to find at least substitutions, if not a complete recipe. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
I made this for wine club. 8 people finished off the entire cake. It was absolutely delicious using a mixture of white Bacardi rum and Malibu rum. Everyone asked for the recipe when we were leaving.
I would like to add coconut to this recipe would you know how much to add & should I toast it or not?
Thank you.
Dolores, I haven’t added coconut to this recipe, but I think that if you add 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut to the batter you should be ok, and I wouldn’t toast it. If you wanted to add some additional toasted coconut to the top of the cake for garnish before serving, I think that would be wonderful! Enjoy, and please let me know how it turns out
This cake turned out beautifully. I made it this morning and can’t wait for everyone to try it this evening. 😍
Wonderful. The whole family loved this. Especially liked the tip about coating the pineapple tidbits in the dry mix. Got a taste of pineapple in every bite!
Portia, I am so very happy to hear that, thank you! I’ve absolutely fallen in love with that cake, and haven’t had it in a while. You’ve motivated me to make it again.
Thanks so much for the review and taking the time to let me know. It means a lot.